Privacy Policy

Last updated: 15 September 2026

This policy explains how compuserveweb.com - a non‑commercial historical preservation project run by its sysop (“the board”, “we”, “us”) - handles personal information on this website and on the board you dial into from it. By using the site or the board, you agree to this policy.

1. Information we collect

When you sign up, and in your profile

To open an account the board asks for your first and last name, an email address, and your town, state and ZIP code. Your password is stored only as a one‑way hash, never in a form anyone can read back. A sysop reviews every new account before it can log on.

What the board records by itself

The User ID it issues you, the date you joined, the times of your last logon and logoff, your connect time, and the internet address (IP) your connection came from.

What you create by using the board

• EasyPlex mail you send and receive, which is private;
• forum messages you post, which other members can read;
• an entry in the member directory, if you choose to add one - your name, city, state, computers and interests, which other members can search;
• your address book, your CB handle, your game scores, and the files you keep in your personal file area.

When you contact us

If you email the sysop we receive your email address and whatever you write, and we keep that correspondence so we can help you.

When you visit the website

Like virtually all websites, our server keeps standard technical logs of requests - IP address, browser, timestamps and the pages requested - which we use to operate and secure the site. They are deleted after 90 days. We do not use them to build profiles or track you across sites.

2. Cookies and tracking

This website uses no analytics, advertising or tracking cookies, and embeds no third‑party trackers. Fonts come from your own computer, so reading these pages sends your data to no font or CDN provider. Two things are saved in your browser, both of them settings you choose yourself, and neither is sent to us:

• the light or dark theme you pick, kept in your browser’s local storage;
• the terminal’s sound and screen‑effects switches, kept in two cookies for 30 days.

3. How we use your information

• To run your membership and the board’s services - mail, forums, CB, your file area and the games;
• to review and approve new accounts, and to email you when yours is approved or your password is reissued;
• to show the weather for your area;
• to keep the board secure, which includes blocking addresses that repeatedly fail to log on;
• to answer you when you write to the sysop.

We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not sell, rent or trade it.

4. Legal bases (EEA / UK - GDPR)

Where the GDPR applies, we rely on: performance of a contract (running the membership you asked for and answering your mail); our legitimate interests (to operate and secure the board); and your consent for anything optional, such as a member directory entry, which you can withdraw by removing it.

5. Who we share it with

We share personal information only with the providers that make the board run, and only as needed:

• Amazon Web Services (Amazon SES) - sends the board’s email. It receives your email address, your name and the message;
• Open‑Meteo - provides the weather. It receives only your ZIP code, or your town and state if you have no ZIP, never your name or User ID;
• our hosting provider - the server that runs the board and this site is operated on our behalf by our hosting company;
• Ko‑fi - only if you choose to support the project. Ko-fi handles that as its own controller.

Other members see what you post in the forums, what you say on CB, and your member directory entry if you create one. We may also disclose information if required by law. We never sell your data or share it with advertisers or data brokers.

6. Where your data is processed

Our server is located in the United States (Washington state). If you are in the EEA or the UK, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States; we make such transfers only where necessary to provide the service you have asked for - that is, to run your membership.

7. How long we keep it

• Your account and what you created with it - while your account exists. Deleting a message on the board hides it from view; the stored copy goes when your account is deleted;
• email waiting to be sent - 30 days, then it is purged;
• server logs - 90 days. The board’s own connection log is held to a fixed size, so older entries roll off it rather than being kept to a date;
• backups - 30 days.

To have your account and its data deleted, email the sysop from the address on your account. Forum messages you posted may be left in place, since they are part of other members’ conversations; say so in your mail if you want them removed too.

8. Your rights

If you are in the EEA or UK, you have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to our processing of your personal data, to data portability, and to withdraw consent where processing is based on it. You may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect and to request access or deletion, and the right to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of your personal information - note that we do neither. We will not treat you differently for exercising these rights.

You can correct most of your details yourself on the board, at GO CIS-40. For anything else, email sysop@compuserveweb.com and we will respond within the time the law requires.

9. Security

The site and the board are served over HTTPS. In the database, your email address, town, state and ZIP, and the subject and body of your EasyPlex mail are encrypted; your password is stored only as a one‑way hash. We apply reasonable technical measures to protect what we hold. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Children

The board is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has signed up, write to the sysop and the account will be removed.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date above reflects the latest version, and material changes will be noted here.

12. Contact

The sysop - sysop@compuserveweb.com. Please include your User ID.